Saturday, November 23, 2024

Tag: Department of Agriculture

DA commits P8-M project to help Talakag coffee farmers

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (May 15) – The Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) has pledged a Coffee Community-Based Development Enterprise worth P8 million to MILALITTRA, Inc. in order to boost the region’s coffee industry.

MILALITTRA, which stands for Miarayon-Lapok-Lirongan-Tinaytayan-Talaandig Tribal Association, is made up of coffee farmers from about 2,500 household members from various villages of Talakag town in Bukidnon province.

“This project is funded under the High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of DA-RFO 10 that aims to provide production and postharvest support services for coffee and cacao farmers,” said the program coordinator Kersten S. Pagalan.

She added that included in the package of interventions is the provision of hauling truck, processing equipment, facility, training, planting materials, and nursery establishment.
MILALITTRA president Joannah P. Dumaquita who represented Datu Dungkuan ‘Rio’ Besto, indicated that DA’s project funding would greatly help them with their more than 11 hectares of coffee plantation, as well as in expanding their business with the slated training.

Dumaquita also reported that the association bagged the award for the 2019 Philippine Coffee Quality Competition for Arabica category.

She asserted that with DA’s assistance they will be able to modernize their equipment and facilities in order to preserve and maintain the quality of coffee beans, particularly green coffee beans that are still raw and have not yet been roasted while stored.

DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga handed over the Certificate of Commitment on behalf of Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado.

Agri NorMin research stations break ground for construction of poultry houses

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Two research stations of the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) are now set for the construction of poultry houses with a total worth of P1.875 million in Bukidnon province.

On May 3, a series of the groundbreaking ceremony was held for Malaybalay Stock Farm (P1.25-M) in Dalwangan, Malaybalay City, and the Regional Center for Upland Development (P625,000.00) in Dangcagan town.

DA Undersecretary for Regulations and Infrastructure Engr. Zamzamin L. Ampatuan and DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado led the said events.

As the department is pushing for infrastructure development towards a more industrialized and modernized farming industry, USec Ampatuan relayed, that the construction of these projects will be a huge contribution to poultry farmers’ productivity and profitability.

RED Collado noted, that said units will give a great boost in the supply of poultry stocks, extending more help to farmers regionwide thru production in the centers.

Fund source for said buildings were pooled from the Regional Livestock Program under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) otherwise known as Republic Act 11494, a law created to provide COVID-19 response and recovery interventions.

DA, LGU Manolo Fortich leads turnover of P5.2-M Solar-Powered Irrigation System to Brgy. Lingion

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MANOLO FORTICH, Bukidnon (04 May 2021) – The agriculture department in Northern Mindanao (DA-10) and the local government of Manolo Fortich led the joint turnover ceremony of the first Solar-Powered Irrigation System (SPIS) project established in the town, to the barangay local government of Lingion.

The P5.2 million SPIS equipped with 48 pieces solar array and a 15-horsepower irrigation pump, can irrigate around 15-20 hectares and has a potential area for expansion up to 50 hectares if additional pipes are installed.

Said project is mainly intended to irrigate rainfed corn areas and other upland crops, directly benefitting 20-30 farmers near the project location at Sitio Gaboc.

“We wish to achieve the twin goals of the department: “Mataas na Ani, Mataas na Kita” for our farmers and fishers. With the ready water source, it [SPIS] will enable the farmers in the locality to plant even during drought with much more ease, resulting in increased productivity and income,” DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga said.

Out of the 22 municipalities and cities of Bukidnon province, the director also commended LGU Manolo Fortich thru its agriculture and engineering offices for their prompt response in accepting and implementing said project.

She noted that Lingion SPIS is funded from DA-10’s pooled savings in 2018, following the completion of solar-powered irrigation technology projects on corn, in its research stations in Malaybalay City and Dangcagan town.

Meanwhile, Manolo Fortich Mayor Clive D. Quiño urged the beneficiaries to look after the completed project with the barangay council taking the lead.

“This is just not a simple project, as it is worth P5.2-M and is funded by the people’s taxes. It can be implemented in any other municipality, but we have been chosen as the recipient for this assistance. With this big project comes great responsibility, so we should take care of this project to sustain in reaping its gains for many,” Mayor Quiño said.

The local chief executive sought the provision of technical assistance to update local farmers, and push them to also engage in high-value crop production in the future.

This, as he recognizes the African Swine Fever (ASF) threat, which could have an impact on the demand for corn.

With this, he went on to pin his hope for Manolo Fortich is also becoming a vegetable basket, similar to that of the towns of Talakag and Lantapan.

“This is a big favor accorded to our barangay. We are very grateful for DA-10, LGU Manolo Fortich, especially the Municipal Agriculture’s Office headed by Gema G. Cania and all others involved, who have been instrumental in the completion of the project,” Elbern Onahon, Lingion barangay captain relayed.

Moving forward, he assured his interest and usual cooperation to help ensure the sustainability of the SPIS project, to attract more development projects towards realizing progress in the locality.

DA-10, CMU pushes for higher yield, productivity thru hybrid rice technology

Posted on by cmn

MARAMAG, BUKIDNON – The Hybridization Program aims to increase farm efficiency to attain rice sufficiency through hybrid rice; the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10), together with Central Mindanao University (CMU), led a ceremonial planting for the Hybrid Rice Derby.

Representing DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, Audy G. Maagad, officer-in-charge, Field Operations Division, highlighted the benefits of using hybrid rice on Feb. 4 in Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon.

Maagad shared that hybrid rice is a good option for farmers to increase production, producing as much as 10-12 tons per hectare.

“With hybrid rice and the use of farm mechanization in land preparation, transplanting, and harvesting, the production cost is reduced while the yield increases, thus rice farmers get to earn more,” the DA official added.

CMU provided the 33-hectare farmland for seed companies to plant, where each of them is provided with three hectares to showcase their best varieties, including their respective cultural management practices and other technologies to enhance rice productivity.

This will then be displayed in a technology demonstration, so farmers can determine which variety is best suited for their respective areas.

Meanwhile, CMU President Jesus Antonio G. Derije said their institution welcomes opportunities to achieve rice sufficiency in the country.

“We want to be of help in producing rice to address the shortage and to produce more harvest because rice is a basic commodity that Filipinos need,” Derije said.

He underscored; they are one with the department in achieving the production of quality rice.

Said derby was participated by seed companies, which include Bayer, Dosepco, SL Agritech, Leads Agri, Ramgo, LongPin, Corteva, Syngenta, Bioseed, and Seed works, including DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute.

“With them [seed companies] responding to our call, it shows the strong collaboration of our public-private partnership, especially in this time of the pandemic, where Bayanihan is very much needed,” Maagad said.

Also present in the Rice Derby are DA-10 and CMU officials and staff, representatives from the seed companies, and farmers from the different towns of Bukidnon. # (CSeraspe)

45 FCAs in Bukidnon to get 270 farm machines

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY (Feb. 10) – The 45 Farmer’s Cooperatives and Association (FCAs) in Bukidnon will be given a total of 270 units of agricultural machineries worth ₱150,190,000.00 from the Department of Agriculture Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech).

Mr. Hansel D. Echavez, supervising administrative officer of the Public Affairs, Information, and Assistance (PAIA) Division of the provincial Governor’s Office said, it will be held on Feb. 12 at Kaamulan Open Theater, Kaamulan Park, Malaybalay City.

He said machineries include 38 units of four-wheel tractor, 43 units of hand tractor, 63 units of floating tiller, two units of precision seeder, 23 units of walk-behind transplanter, three units of riding type transplanter, 30 units of rice reaper, 25 units of cobine harvester, 27 units of mechanical thresher, one unit of recirculating dryer and 15 units of mobile rice mill.

“The DA-PhilMech and the Provincial Government of Bukindon will distribute the said agricultural machineries to 45 identified FCA beneficiaries from the towns of Malitbog, Manolo Fortich, Impasugong, Dangcagan, Kibawe, Damulog, San Fernando, Cabanglasan, Lantapan, Don Carlos, Kitaotao, Maramag, Quezon, Kalilangan, Talakag, Kibawe and the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia,” Echavez said.

He said beneficiary CFAs are reminded to send only two representatives to receive the machineries to maintain and observe the imposed minimum public health protocols against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

He added that the farm machineries’ distribution is in accordance with the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) – Mechanization Program.

The RCEF program, through the Rice Ratification Law, was created by the national government to improve the competitiveness and income of rice farmers amid the liberalization of Philippine rice marketing policy, if it is considered a yield and rice is the country’s food, which is why the government is pushing for it to fully achieve rice security in the Philippines.

3 NorMin provinces get P5.6-M agri aid

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Aug. 25, 2020) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) 10 (Northern Mindanao) will distribute some PHP5.6 million worth of basic farm inputs as an aid for three provinces in the region that were affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), an official said Tuesday.

These are Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Occidental, said Azbie Talib, DA-10 focal communicator for the agency’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program.

“The provinces will receive farm inputs composed of 20,192 packs of vegetable seeds, 1,125 packs of sweet corn seeds, and 2,500 bags of organic fertilizers,” the agency said in a statement.

The intervention will be fully distributed before the end of the month, it said.

At least 30 towns in the region will benefit from the intervention, Talib said, as he called on farmers in the area to increase production to mitigate the impact of the ongoing health crisis.

He said DA-10 had refocused PHP11.2 million of its 2020 budget for SAAD to fund the procurement of basic inputs for crops and livestock production this year. (Nef Luczon/
PNA)